Ather

dwarf

Dwarves are one of the three original races created by the Harkiron Gods. They are sturdy, strong willed, and extremely devoted to their clan hold.

Biology
Dwarves are unique in that they do not reproduce. All dwarves are male, and when a dwarf dies, he is reincarnated into a carved new body. The spiritual leaders of the clan hold, known as Priest Carvers, carve from stone the new bodies for their fallen comrades. New dwarves are carved as young adults, which age naturally over time, and are capable of dying of old age when their time comes. Reincarnated dwarves remember nothing of their past life, though some traits occasionally carry over. A priest carver can see a dwarf’s past lives as shadows, but to the dwarven population at large, they bear little resemblance to their former selves.

While dwarves cannot reproduce with one another, they are capable of reproducing with other races, though the practice is a severe taboo in dwarven culture, causing the permanent removal of that dwarf’s soul from the cycle of reincarnation.

Dwarves are generally shorter than other races, averaging about 5 feet tall. They are bearded, and have dark complexions. Dwarves have slightly shorter legs and longer arms proportionate to their bodies than humans, and are much stockier and more densely muscled, causing the average dwarf to weigh nearly 180 lbs and have similar strength to a human. Dwarves may live up to around 200 years, though it is rare for one to make it past 170.

Culture
Since dwarves do not have traditional families, they tend to view their societies as a whole as families. Dwarves are usually carved in batches, with approximately one batch of a dozen carved every few months. Dwarves often identify very closely with the batch they were carved with, and these “rock brothers” are usually the closest thing to a family that dwarves have to compare to humans and elves. They will often refer to the Priest Carvers as “father,” as an honorific.

Due to the supernatural nature of their birth, dwarves are generally very religious, revering the three divines with much worship and praise. Each clan typically has a favored divine, whom they consider their patron, but encourage praise and respect for all the Harkiron Gods. Dwarves tend to view dealings with other powerful extraplanar beings as blasphemous or unholy, and such contact is shunned by the clan.

Since there is a finite number of available souls for each clan, deviation from the laws of the clan is seen by dwarves on a societal and individual level as highly undesirable. Since certain grave crimes can expel a dwarf’s soul from the clan’s pool of souls, transgressions not only destroy the dwarf upon death, but weaken the clan as well.